


"The Most Beautiful, Smartest, Perfect Girl in the World"

by SlytherinTeam



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Comfort, F/F, Femslash, Hurt, One-Shot, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:22:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25755799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlytherinTeam/pseuds/SlytherinTeam
Summary: Azula never really had the space to explore her sexuality. She grew up single-mindedly focused on expanding the Fire Nation’s sphere of influence and of course, her end goal of world domination. All she knew was that women married men and had children, continuing their family dynasties. So, why can’t Azula seem to fall in love with a man and why do her thoughts keep wandering back to her bubbly, open-hearted, and er... busty acrobat friend?~Tyzula one-shot~
Relationships: Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 111





	"The Most Beautiful, Smartest, Perfect Girl in the World"

When Azula couldn’t sleep, she paced through the palace corridors, meticulously reviewing her plans for world domination and plotting new ones. 

She was in her late teens now. She was getting closer to the day when she would rule, not just as fire lord, but as empress of the world.

Envisioning herself as world leader was easy but envisioning herself carrying on her dynasty was hard.

If there was one thing Azula did not think about, it was her future spouse. She needed a man so that she could have children and ensure that her reign would never end, that her descendants would always sit on the throne of flames. She knew that, but gaining love, in her mind, seemed like a herculean task. It made gaining power look like a cake walk.

Azula’s mother had never loved her. She always knew that. Her own mother thought she was a monster....

She was right of course, but that didn’t mean it hurt any less.

Did she have a right to feel hurt though? After all, had she ever loved her mother? She didn’t think so.

But this wasn’t about her mother, this was about her future husband. Azula may have not loved her mother but surely she could find a man to love? She already loved her father, well respected him, admired him, feared him even perhaps. 

The princess of the fire nation, soon to be queen of the world, sometimes, to her chagrin, found herself worrying that, 1) she was incapable of loving another and 2) she was incapable of being loved in return.

However, whenever she got to worrying about these two fears of hers, a strange thing would happen, she would start thinking about Ty Lee. 

The daughter of nobility, turned circus acrobat was Azula’s best friend, maybe her only real friend. She didn’t trust Mai, not really. Sure, the nobleman's daughter was useful and efficient but she was also fickle and seemed too detached to care about anything.

But Ty Lee was different, not just from Mai, but from everyone Azula knew. Ty Lee was bubbly, friendly, extremely open, maybe even naive but did it matter? Despite being a non-bender, the girl was one of the most capable and competent fighters Azula had ever encountered, a true asset to any team hell bent on conquering.

Ty Lee was also beautiful, the most beautiful girl in the fire nation, no, in all the nations.

Azula blushed as she recalled the time that Ty Lee had called her “the most beautiful, perfect girl in the world,” and had honestly meant it. But Azula knew it wasn’t true and she wasn’t the least bit jealous or offended, because at the end of the day, she was the one who got to feast her eyes on Ty Lee, the actual most beautiful, perfect girl in the world.

She had long, shiny brunette hair, rare grey-colored eyes, and an incredibly fit and perky body that matched her equally perky personality. Ty Lee never failed to be Azula’s sunshine on a cloudy day.

Azula did not grow up learning about people like her. She didn’t know that women who liked women existed. And maybe that was for the best because such relationships were outlawed in the Fire Nation anyway, had been outlawed long ago by firelord Sozin. 

So, teenage Azula couldn’t make sense of her feelings. All she knew was that, according to her mother she was a monster, and yes, she did notice that she was lacking in empathy, that she struggled to care about other people, that she was selfish, but she never thought of herself as an evil person. Some would call her a psychopath or a sociopath. But she knew they were wrong. If she truly lacked feelings, then she wouldn’t feel so tortured over her confusing feelings for Ty Lee, for the silly circus girl.

“Azula?”

“Ty Lee?”

As Azula was marching down one of the halls, lost in contemplation, she was surprised to see Ty Lee burst out from one of the doors, and embarrassed because she had just been thinking about her.

The circus girl stood in her night clothes, which consisted of a loose pink crop top with short flowy sleeves and matching flowy, oversized pink pants. She looked sleepy and dazed and adorable.

“Why are you awake at this hour?” Azula asked, as if she herself was the only one allowed up at these hours.

“I couldn’t sleep.” Ty Lee said, rubbing her eyes and looking so innocent.

Azula’s face softened, almost into a smile. “Neither could I.”

Ty Lee giggled. “But that’s normal for you, princess Azula. Ever since we were kids, you liked to roam the halls late at night.”

Every time Ty Lee giggled liked that, Azula could feel her heart flutter. “You must snuff out all weakness.” She always told herself. But Ty Lee was the one weakness she refused to remove from her life.

“I swear you know me better than anyone else, Ty Lee.”

“Really? Even better than Mai?” The acrobat girl asked, her already big eyes getting bigger.

Azula laughed. “Absolutely. Mai doesn’t care enough to get to know anyone. Besides, you and I both know she has eyes for my brother and that makes her a liability. I can’t confide in someone with such poor personal taste.”

Ty Lee giggled more. Azula loved how in her relationship with Ty Lee, she always made the girl laugh, unintentionally or not. It made her feel like Ty Lee really understood her, appreciated her even, beyond her status as the fire princess - soon to be world empress.

“Since we both can’t sleep, why don’t you come to my room? We can talk about what’s troubling us.” Azula suggested with a glint in her eyes.

“Really? You want my company now?” Ty Lee beamed. She was so child-like and eager. Azula knew the girl was desperate for attention because she had grown up with multiple identical twins and resented being part of a matched set. She used that desperation and hunger to her advantage in manipulating Ty Lee but there was also a part of her that found Ty Lee’s desire to shine and stand out, endearing. She was more than willing to give her that spotlight.

“Yes, really.” Azula said, rolling her eyes. “You know when I mean something. Now, come on. I’ve had enough of these dark halls and their reverberating echoes.”

Ty Lee happily obliged, following the fire princess to her chamber. It made her feel special, that the royal daughter of the nation had chosen her above all others to confide in. Why her and not one of her identical sisters or anyone else? Ty Lee had achieved what she wanted and more; she was her own person and a worthy and valuable person at that.  
Upon entering the chamber, Azula used her fire-bending to dimly light a few lamps and then proceeded to sit at the edge of her bed.

Ty Lee, who seemed to forget that life wasn’t a circus show, walked in on her hands and proceeded to plop herself on the floor below the bed, at Azula’s feet. She sat in a pretzel position and did her usual restless stretching.

“So, why couldn’t you sleep, Ty Lee?” Azula inquired.

Ty Lee shrugged. “Not sure,” she answered tersely as she continued to stretch.

Azula raised an eyebrow. “It’s not like you to miss out on your beauty sleep. Normally, you sleep like a baby, nine hours without interruption.” 

The acrobatic girl was now doing splits, and staying uncharacteristically silent.

“Is there something you’re not telling me?” If the acrobat girl wasn’t talkative or bouncing off the walls then it was cause for suspicion. 

Ty Lee sighed. “I’m worried about you Azula.”

“Worried about me? Is that a joke?” Azula snorted. She was one of the most powerful and gifted people in the world; on the road to surpassing her father and the Avatar himself. She didn’t need people worrying about her, especially because in her mind, worry meant sensing weakness.

“Please, don’t take it the wrong way. You’re the most beautiful, intelligent, strong, powerful, talented, perfect girl in the world. But you’re still human and you know I’m very intuitive. I can see auras and I’m very close with you. It’s no secret to me that you’ve been on edge recently.”

Azula blushed crimson at the compliment, and mentally scolded herself for letting Ty Lee’s flattery get to her head so easily. The princess also admired her close friend for being so astute. The intuitive chi-blocker was definitely the only person able to peel back the layers and pick up on her hidden moods.

“I’m touched truly, that my worry has become your worry. You really are my most loyal servant Ty Lee, and my closest confidant.” Azula praised the girl and felt her heart stir when she looked up at her with those full, adoring, glowing, grey eyes. “Since you always prove yourself so worthy to me, I will share my most recent concerns with you. I’ve been thinking, now that my inevitable domination of the world is getting closer to being secured, what will I do after? I need to leave a legacy behind. I’ll need to give birth to an heir someday, a child with my blood to take my place. But I wonder if there is a man worthy enough to be the groom of Azula, Fire Empress of the World. I will not settle for anything less than my vision of perfection. It was remaining true to my vision after all, that enabled me to gain so much power in the first place.”

“Oh, Azula! Thank you for trusting me! I still don’t know what you see in me sometimes but I promise, you can tell me anything. I would give up my own life for you, you know, princess of our nation and soon to be queen of the world.” Ty Lee grinned so brightly, as she sat at Azula’s feet, bowing her head. The fire princess smirked with pleasure.

Ty Lee, who Azula deemed somewhat of an expert in matters of the heart, or at least more brave in baring her soul and wearing her heart on her sleeve than the princess was, proceeded to give her best advice.

“Azula, you’re so young. Once your reign is secured beyond doubt, you should rule on your own for a few years, figure out how you want to shape the new world. Then you can worry about finding a partner and having children. And regarding the question of whether or not there is a worthy man out there for you, don’t they say that behind every great ruler, is a great spouse? You will find him.” The circus girl spoke so earnestly and yet there was a pang of sadness in her voice.

“Thank you for trying to assuage my doubts, Ty Lee. I suppose you’re right. I can plan as much as I want but I won’t truly understand how I want my vision to unfold until I’m actually sitting on the throne. Perhaps, I need more patience. No one likes uncertainty, least of all me, but every now and then we must let the chips fall where they may.” 

Azula paused and looked contemplative. “My only foray into dating was at that silly party we went to on Ember island.” The princess looked like she was trying to mask her shame. “I thought my struggles that night were a reflection of my social skills, that maybe they needed some work but I realized the actual problem was my disinterest in any of the male suitors there.” The princess bit her lower lip as she said this and no one but Ty Lee would have ever believed that this was the same girl, firebending prodigy, ruthless daughter of fire Lord Ozai, who had single-handedly infiltrated the Dai Li and conquered Ba Sing Se.

The normally gabby and eager to please chi-blocker and star acrobat had no response. She knew something about her fiery friend that she had still yet to realize, or at least she had suspected it for a long time and her suspicions were now confirmed.

While Azula was constantly looking outward, thinking about her plans and the world around her, Ty Lee was constantly looking inward, examining her aura, reflecting and meditating on her desires and her core personality. So, naturally the more spiritual of the two, also possessed more self-awareness.

Azula never had to fight to stand out. She just did. “You were born lucky,” her father had told her from a young age and continued to tell her, lavishing her with praise all throughout her adolescence. Zuko, her unfortunate older brother, never served as a threat to her. Unskilled and mediocre in all his endeavors, he was just lucky to have been born. Ty Lee, on the other hand, had to fight to differentiate herself and stand out pretty much since birth and for all of Azula’s strength, that kind of moxy and grit were not in her repertoire and so she lacked the ability to really understand herself the way Ty Lee did.

Part of reflecting and meditating and knowing herself as an individual, manifested in an early awareness of her attractions. Ty Lee liked boys, she always had, chasing them around and trying to kiss them was her favorite sport as a little girl. In that sense, she was like most other girls. But she was also different, because she liked girls too, just as much, and unlike the fire princess, who was blissfully ignorant of her own attractions and attractions of that nature in general, the runaway noble girl turned circus freak was all too aware of how her difference only served to emphasize her “freak” status. She did everything to hide it and although she knew, if free to choose, she would probably more often fall into the arms of women than men, she played up her “straight side” so to speak, always acting like a boy crazy flirt to ram the point home. 

This strategy served her well. No one doubted her over-the-top performance. It fit well with the perception many people had of her as an “air-head,” an unfair perception based solely on the fact that she had many stereotypically feminine traits and spaced out a lot, daydreaming and pondering. The fact that she was well-endowed certainly didn’t detract from this assessment others had of her either. Ty Lee did like the attention but she was also left feeling like people only liked her appearance and her act. She felt grateful for her friendship with Mai, a girl who was too apathetic and brutally honest to waste time pretending that she liked you, and even more grateful for her friendship with Azula, the girl who fulfilled her craving to feel special, the girl she called “the most beautiful, smartest perfect girl in the world,” not just because she was their nation’s royalty, but because she meant it.

As a perceptive person, close to the princess, Ty Lee not only picked up on Azula’s every mood, she could also read Azula like an open book. It may have not been obvious to the princess herself but it was obvious to Ty Lee why she wasn’t interested in any male suitors. Of course, the acrobat girl never dared to bring the subject up. Considering the fire nation’s attitudes towards such people, she hoped, for the princess’s sake, that she would never come to that harsh realization. Furthermore, she feared broaching the subject in case her own feelings began bubbling to the surface. 

“Ty Lee….what if….what if no men are of interest to me? There’s a reason why my team consists of you and Mai. I may prefer my father over my mother, but in general, I much prefer women to men.” Azula admitted as her lip trembled and her eyes grew watery, The acrobat girl could not remember the last time she saw the princess look this vulnerable and distraught. She felt guilty for liking it, if only because Azula only ever revealed these emotions to her and still seldom so. 

The daughter of nobility, turned circus freak, turned chi-blocker extraordinaire and most trusted friend, wrapped her arms around the fire princess and embraced her. The princess gasped, surprised at her friend’s action but nonetheless, settled into the embrace. She could feel heat emanating from the acrobat girl and imagined herself wrapped in the safety of her own blue flames, a comforting thought for the firebending prodigy. As a child, she used to surround herself with her blue flames when she was upset so that no one could get near her. 

“Azula, you’re perfect the way you are. Please don’t force yourself to change just to suit your vision. Maybe your vision can change to suit you.” Ty Lee said softly as she held the girl, her best friend, the most beautiful, smartest, perfect girl in the world, tightly in her arms.

“There’s only one person I want by my side when I rule and it’s you.” Azula whispered into the circus girl, _her _circus girl’s ear.__

__And finally, the two shared a kiss._ _

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> I hope you enjoyed this one-shot ^-^


End file.
